Fan fiction is one of the oldest traditions of the internet. Dr Brooke
Magnanti explains why so many women love it and what went wrong when
Benedict Cumberbatch was forced to awkwardly read aloud some Sherlock fanfic
this weekend

Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman in Sherlock series 3Photo: BBC/Hartswood

The hearts of many surely beat a little faster on Sunday, when a selected audience were treated to an advance screening of Sherlock's season 3 opener at the BFI,followed by a Q&A of the cast and writers chaired by author and Times author Caitlin Moran. With almost everyone who was there adhering to the 'no spoilers' request it's hard to say what we mere mortals can expect on New Year's Day, only that those who have seen it say it is very good.

Less good, however, was widespread anger from Sherlock fans after the Q&A when Moran made actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin freeman read a very awkward scene of fan fiction (or fanfic) she'd found on the internet. Let's just say some hot and heavy kissing was involved, maybe more.

The Sherlock fandom took to Twitter, enraged by what they saw as 'breaking the fourth wall' - not only ruining the fantasy of the real actors in their world but encroaching on the unwritten rules of the fanfic world as well. They saw Moran's behaviour as unacceptable, and the implied ridicule of fanfic writers as unwelcome.

Fanfic is one of theoldest traditions of the internet, predating even the invention of the World Wide Web. Back then fanfic writing flourished on Usenet forums, with some writers branching out into 'slashfic'… the sexier side of things (so called because Character1-slash-Character2 is usually how the writers indicated what erotic couplings were contained in the story). Back in the day, I could occasionally be found reading and sometimes writing Star Trek TNG fanfic myself for… um, reasons. Ok, full disclosure, I fancied Data. Decades later it's still going strong for all kinds of imaginary universes, and has a deep and well-developed lexicon specific to the genre.

The position of chairing a Q&A without giving spoilers for the episode that was screened would have been a tough brief to do well. Moran's use of material without checking with the author or the actors first was, in hindsight, not a great move (the fanfic author has responded on her tumblr). The uproar however has shone a light on the Sherlock fandom, which is unusual among current internet fandoms.

Unlike the One Directioners and Beliebers of the world, Sherlock fandom skews older: Sherlock is very definitely not a kids' show and the makeup of the fandom reflects this. It's also relatively new to the pantheon of fandoms, without the legacy audience that Doctor Who and Star Trek attract, and - need I say it? - seems to be majority women. So when Moran laughed at a quip on Twitter that the sort of people who queued for the BFI screening were 'virgins', she couldn't have been more off the mark. Anyway, people queue for the Proms, right? Britain loves a queue, 'nuff said.

For some fans of Sherlock, following the show has either introduced them to online communities like Twitter and Tumblr, or strengthened their ties to them. Some of the people writing fanfic - including the author of the piece Moran supplied to Cumberbatch and Freeman - are grown women and mums finding an enjoyable and productive outlet for having fun. They don't want to see the fourth wall broken any more than the actors want to do it.

Many writers and artists get their start in fanfic, whether it's EL James whose Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy grew out of Twilight fanfic offerings, or comic artists who often start not by creating their own style but by emulating someone else's. Using and extending an existing universe can help writers who don't yet have the hang of creating fully rounded characters, and offers unique challenges to experienced authors more used to rolling their own.

What, indeed, are the newJames Bond novels if not a kind of fanfic? And Sherlock itself, the show, is also fanfic... based after all on Arthur Concan Doyle's beloved character. Like blogging, it's usually free, widely accessible, and welcomes all levels of interest and ability. No wonder women are flocking to it.

It's entirely possible that thanks to Sherlock fanfic, someone who never before considered writing professionally might decide to give it a try. It's also possible that some who considered doing so may now be scared to, fearing the long memory of the internet and the ridicule they might receive. And to those authors I say: forget the haters, sally forth and conquer all worlds. There is nothing shameful about stretching your wings.